It seemed like a safe bet that when the New York Giants kept eight linebackers on their 53-man roster that it wouldn’t be for long.
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The corresponding move to Johnson’s addition to the roster was the termination of middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley’s contract.
Johnson, who led the Ravens to an undefeated preseason, signed today with the New York Giants, according to his agent Doug Hendrickson.
Johnson, 30, has played in 29 games for the Buccaneers, Browns and Bengals, starting five.
Johnson is a seven-year veteran who has previously been with eight teams, throwing a total of 177 regular-season passes, the last in December 2011. Johnson played in 11 games in 2010, and nine with one start in 2011. He’s completed 54.2 percent of his passes for 1,042 yards with five touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Johnson last played in an National Football League game in 2013, when he played in two games without throwing a pass for the Cincinnati Bengals.
After setting the team’s initial 53-man roster, which saw quarterback Logan Thomas waived and then later added to the practice squad, head coach Ben McAdoo said he was “comfortable” with having only two quarterbacks on the active roster. He last threw a regular-season pass on December 11, 2011, at Jacksonville. Brinkley was the Giants’ third-leading tackler last season.
Brinkley was competing with Kelvin Sheppard for the team’s starting middle linebacker job.
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Brinkley was a contender to start until he hurt a knee and missed the final preseason game.
